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THE COLFAX CHRONICLE
Absorbed the GRANT PARISH DEMOCRAT May 1, 1!0!
A pcmocratic journal, devoted to Local and 6cneral News, Literature, Sciiteraturence, Agicultu, 6tc.
VOL. XXXVI COLFAX, GRANT PARISH, LA., SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1912 NUMBER 4
VOL. XXXVI COLFAX, GRANT PARISH, LA., SATURDAY, SEPT~EMBER 14, 1912 NUMBER 46
Our Public Schools a Failure
Seventeen Million Children in the United States Handi
capped by a System that is the Most Momentous
Failure in Our American Life To-day.
[The following ievere tnt trlthflll and mrech needed arraignment of the Ameriean putllc klhool
system. Indlcates the mow t practlcal and ccmmonl ense solution we have ever Keen as to how the
well known evils In our school systelm are to be remedied. It is from the gifted pen of Ella Fran
res Lynch, In the Ladies Home Journal of August, 1912. The educational leaders In Louisiana
houlid investigate this sutblct and nee If they cannot give us a system more iI keeping with the
needs of to-day. 'This State suffers very greatly from the vicious and hurtful evils which prevail
at this moment, antiquated methods and Impractical results.-EDIToa.] 0
I have been for years a teacher in
the public schools, city and country,
from the primary through the grammar
and the high school grades. I am now I
a teacher, and after years of experience
in my own schools and after months of
careful investigation in other schools,
for the purpose of this article, I make
this statement carefully and deliberate
ly:
That the American public school sys
tem, as at present conducted, is an ab
solute and total failure.
For these reasons:
It is stupid in method;
It is impractical in plan;
It is absolutely ineffective in results.
After eight years' training in the ele
mentary schools the average boy or girl
is fitted for nothing practical.
Now to you, my reader, who have
constantly heard, and perhaps said so
yourself, that "the American public
school system is the most magnificent
system of public education in the
world," this statement will prove a
shock. You will probably refuse to
believe it. You will say it is a person.
al opinion: prejudiced, partial. For
years you have been made to believe
that "the most colossal fact in Ameri
can life is the American public school."
Its overawing splendor has forced thou
sands of the unthinking, even to such a
figure as the present President of the
United States, to view the system with
an attitude of reverence and to regard
it almost as a Heaven-sent institution.
But not the men and women who xsow
have said this or thought it.
This is not a new statement, nor am
I alone in it. For thirty years the
foremost educators of our land, almost
to a man, have recognized and present
ed in speech and by pen the evils of
our public school system. You haven't
heard them because their voices or pens
have only reached the educators and
teachers. Ex-President Charles W.
Eliot, of Harvard University, has re
peatedly said that the entire system
"is unintelligent from the primary
school through the college." And ev
ery educator worthy of the name has
yempatcaly indorsed this statement:
-e ery progressive superintendent, prin
cipal and teacher knows it to be true.
Then why has it been allowed to go
on?
Because you, my reader, as a mem
ber of the great public, have failed to
take an interest in the question, even
where the evils of the system have
reached your ears, and only you can
stop the present idiotic system which
costs over four hundred and three mil
lion dollars a year, and is either wrong
ly educating, mal-educating or abso
lutely harming nearly eighteen million
children every year.
This is not an extreme statement.
Ask any educator who has common
sense and he will tell you that it is true.
But how, you will ask, do you ac
count for the fact that so many men
have gone to our public schools and are
to-day successful men? Their success
is not due to the public schools. An
educator of the highest prominence re
cently said: "It is still possible for a
bright child to go through the public
schools, grammar grades included, and
yet retain his individuality and acquire
an education, but the chances for his
doing so are fast diminishing." The
men and women who attended public
schools and are to-day successful in the
world became such successes because
either of home training, outside stimu
lus or natural gifts, but not through
what they learned in the public schools.
Do you know one salient, incontroverti
ble fact-incontrovertible because care
ful inquiries have proved it: that the
public school records conclusively show
that the bright, energetic boy invari
ably leaves school, the first chance he
can get, to make his way in the world?
Why? Because he feels, and has said
that he is wasting time. .nd he is.
Do you know, further, that the experi
ence of educators proves that the
brightest and most promising children,
who are either compelled or induced to
stay in the public schools, look upon
the school with contempt and hatred?
That to-day, in thousands of cases, ev
ery known a$empt is made to evade
the compulsory education law? Now ti
this is not theory, not an idle statement, ji
not a personal opinion of mine. I am Il
not advancing personal opinions in this g
article; I am studiously avoiding them. ii
I am giving you actual facts of record: n
the observations of educators, princi- ti
pals and teachers the country over. T
Not men and women here and there, d
but American educators almost as an c
entire body. For a man to make a r
practical success in the world on what ii
he actually learned in the public schools d
is practically an impossibility, and I n
will tell you why.
I have said that the first reason for a
the failure of the American public b
school system is that it is stupid in a
method. Why is it stupid? Bear in t
mind first what education is: that it is a
to prepare a child for life; to make him h
effective for his work; to develop his tJ
capacity. Mark you well, for this is a
important for you to bear in mind: Ila
speak of a particular child; hiM partic- h
ular life, to develop his capacity. Not a
children, but se child-your child. a
Now you, as a mother, and I know one t
fundamental truth if we know no other: a
that no two children are alike; your f
John is no more like your Harry than c
the day is like the night. As a matter q
of fact it is your constant surprise, and e
so is it mine, that two children from a
the same parents can be so absolutely a
different, so entirely unlike in almost i:
every taste, every instinct, in every a
way. We don't understand it: it baf- ii
fle us. But one thing we do know: t
that is, they are different-absolutely t
different Of course you handle the iv
two boys differently in every way. a
"Naturally," you say. You believe a
that not only is this common sense, but a
"it is the only way," you say. And of t
course you are right. a
Now what does the public school say?
"All boshl" it says. "All children are I
alike." Not only does it say this, but i
it also boasts of it as its greatest char- a
eateristic-that is, uniformity. Uni- a
form hours, whether the child is young I
or old; uniform methods, whether the a
child is strong or weak; uniform studies,
whether a child is bright or dull; uni
form everything. "All children are I
alike" is its watchword. So into the
system go your two children, absolutely s
different You know that; you recog
nize it. But the public school doesn't j
and won't. As Professor Swift says in 4
that wonderful book that every parent I
should read, "Mind in the Making": I
"Mass education, on a universal plan,
creates a democracy, but it is a democ- 1
racy of stupidity.".
In other words, the public school sys
tem attempts the impossible feat of i
making one course for all children, ab- 1
solutely irrespective of physical l
strength, mentality, inheritance, home
environment, or whether the children
are to become lawyers or blacksmiths,
artists or car conductors.
What child, then, has the public
school in mind? The bright child?
Hardly. Because it is the uniform
opinion of educators that the system is
hardest of all on the bright child, since,
no matter how bright he may be, he
has got to wait for the d all child to
catch up!
Then is the system inten(led for the
dull child? That can't be, because of
the tears shed by the many" children,
who, despite all that their li ttle minds
can do, cannot keep up to gr.ade.
Who is it for, then, if not for the dull
child nor for the bright child?
For the "average" child, dear read
er. Who is the "average" child? No
body knows, nobody can tell. Why,
not? Because he does not exist. Just
try to strike an average between a
goose and an eagle. Can you do it?
Of course not. The thing is impossible.
And even if you could what becomes of
the goose and the eagle?
Now add a dull pupil and a bright pu
pil together, and what do you get?
"You can't do it," you say. Of course
not. You get nothing. And that is ex
actly what the public school gets:
nothing; becuse it attempts the im
possible.
It is a case not as it should be: a
school to fit the pupil; but the pupil, no
matter who or wlat 6e is, is made to
.It the schooL And that is why ex
President Eliot says: "Uniformity is
the curse of our public schools."
That is why I say that the American co
public school system is absolutely stupid th
in its method. The method is grossly FI
stupid because it is absolutely impos- fo
sible. as
My second indictment against the th
public school is that it is absolutely im- Ki
practical in plan. Let us see why this se
is so. The child at six years enters ye
school for the first time, and is placed ci]
in the first grade with forty or fifty- qu
sometimes seventy or eighty-other he
children. All forty, or eighty, as the lu1
case may he, are under the care of one pc
teacher. If any reader doubts the be
truth of such an overcrowded condition m,
just visit the school in your nearest
large city. Nowe the training that is
given during this first year is of supreme th
importance to the child. It may deter
mine his entire future. In what does
this training, then, usually consist?
The child spends four or five hours each
day to acquire the knowledge and dis- a
cipline he should have gained, under o
right conditions, in thirty minutes. This
is not theory, but fact-unshakable, un
deniable fact that has been fully de- B]
monstrated over and over again: that
what now takes the child in public m
school four or five hours a day has so
been learned, again and again, in thirty p,
minutes and less, by the child receiving di
the right attention. In other words, a
what takes the child now eight hundred t
hours in his first year at school, under ec
the convict lock-step and "all-children
are-alike" system, can be, and has been lu
again and again, accomplished in one in
hundred hours, and easily and agreeably b
at that. Where? In the few public n0
schoels that have broken away from p
the pernicious "all-children-are-alike"
system. But how can any teacher with I
forty or eighty children do this? Of
course it is impossible and out of the
question. The teacher knows this-
every teacher knows it-but what can a
she do? Her system is given to her: 0
she is paid to follow it, and woe to her L
if she departs from it! What does she D
naturally do? Her work each year is t,
in kebeping the children so employed as S
to cause her the least annoyance, and ti
to see to it that the class moves ahead ,
in lock-step, getting the "average" 01
mark, so that the class can pass the ex- a
aminations for promotion to the 4ext s
grade, and so on through each grade to
the examinations for entrance to high a
schocl.
One important fact must be remem
bered about all the studies and the b
whole system of the elementary public G
school: that they are keyed absolutely C
and conducted solely for one aim: toti
fit the pupil for graduation to the high tl
school. Here is an entire system of s
education for the first eight years of a tl
child's life keyed to one sole and single
point; for entrance to the high school. n
Now how many pupils from the ele- t
mentatry schools enter the high schools, c
you ask? Here you have hit on the
joker in the whole situation: Just seven
out of every one hundred pupils from
the elementary school ever enter the
high school. a
"But what in the world becomes of
the other ninety-three?" you ask in v
surprise.
They just drop out: a large number I
of parents cannot afford to keep their I
boys and girls in school beyond the ele
mentary school, and they send them to
work; other children beg not to be
sent to school any more, and they go
to work from choice; others, either pa
rents or children, get disgusted and de
cide that "an education is not what it
iscrackedup tobe"-andsoon. What
ever the reason the startling fact re
mains that only seven out of every one i
hundred children enter the high school.
Now, you parents who read these
words, remember that these conditions
and figures are absolutely true. Which
ever of them you doubt, and I do not
blame you for your doubt, because the 1
conditions are almost inconceivable,
you can verify them from any well-in-i
formed educator, teacher, or, if you
I choose, from the United States Govern
ment's own figures in the reports of
Sthe Commissioner of Education at
SWashington.
S (Continued next week.)
The Men Who Succeed
es heads of large enterprises are men
of great energy. Success, to-day, de
er ands health. To ail is to fail. Its
utter folley for a man to endure a weak.
Srun-dlown, half alive condition when
, Electric Bitters will put him right on
Shis feet in short order. "Four bottles
Sdid me more real good than any other
. medicine I ever took;" writes Chas. B.
SAllen, Sylvania, Ga, "'After years of
euffering with rheumatism, liver trou
SIble, stomach disorders, and deranged
o kidneys, I am again, thanks to Electric
o Bitters, sound and well." Try them.
- Only 50 cents at Dixie Pharmacy.
Many Driven From Home.
Every year, in many parts of the
country, thousands are driven from
their homes by coughs and lung diseases.
Friends and business are left behind
for other climates, but this is costly
and not always sure. A better way
the way of multitudes-is to use Dr.
King's New Discovery and cure your
self at home. Stay right there, with
your friends. and take this safe medi
cine. Throat and lung troubles find
quick relief and health returns. Its
help in coughs, colds, grip, croup, sore
lungs and whooping-cough make it a
positive blessing. SOc and $1.00. Trial
bottle free. Guaranteen by Dixie Phar
macy.
To the Democrats of Louisiana.
At the recsnt meeting in Chicago of
the Democratic National Committee it
was decided to appeal to the Democrat
ie press of the country to open their
columns to popular subscriptions to the
fund necessary to defray the legitimate
expenses of the campaign of Gov. Wood
row Wilson and his running mate, Gov.
Thomas R. MarshalL
By the action of the convention at
Baltimore and by the position since
taken by its nominee the party has vol
untarily cut itself off from the financial
support of the money power and the C
predatory interests. Gov. Wilson has 6
declared his intention to scrutinise the j]
subscriptions to the end of rejecting
those which bear the taint of selfish
corporate interests.
The Democratic party stands reso
lutely against the corrupt use of money
in the campaign. But a vast sum will C
be required to meet the legitimate N
needs of the militant Democracy in the
pivotal States which will decide the
complexion of the next National Ad
ministration. N
To raise that sum by a popular sub- H
scription in every State in the Union \
will not be a difficult task. Four years
ago, when prospects were finitely fess
flattering, the Democratic masses of
Louisiana subscribed $25,000 to aid the
Democratic canpaign. It was by far
the largest subscription of say Southern
State. It ranked with the subscrip
tions of the three or four States in the
whole country which stood at the head
of the roll of honor. It gave Louisiana
one of the prominent seats at the coun
sel table of the National Democracy.
Louisiana ought to do as well in 1912
as she did in 1908.
As the Democratic National Commit
teeman from Louisiana and as a mem
ber of the Executive Committee which
Gov. Wilson and Chairman Wm. F. Me
Combs have selected to manage the Na
tional Campaign, I have opened through
the columns of the States and the
Shreveport Times, subscription lists for
this purpose.
I earnestly request every Democratic
newspaper in Louisiana to reproduce
this address and similarly to open its
columns for subscriptions, each of
which, if transmitted to me, I shall be
glad also to acknowledge in the States.
I appeal to every Democrat in Louisi
assa, whatever his station, for his co
operation in this movement. There
will be no limit on the amount of indi
vidual subscriptions. Whatever any
Democrat feels he is able to give, be it
large or small, will be gratefully ae
cepted, duly acknowledged in the col
umns of the States and the Shreveport
Times and promptly transmitted to the
National Committee.
Roset Ewwao,
National Committeeman.
GOV. RALL AE DBMOCMATS TO CON
Governor Hall has issued the follow
ing call:
To the Democrats of Louisiawa:
Having been elected by the Demno
cratic National Campaign Committee as
a member and chairman for the State
t of Louisiana of its finance committee, I
e hereby solicit campaign contributions
from all Democrats and earnestly urge
- each to contribute as liberally uas he is
Sable to do. Itishis partydutythusto
- assist in winning the great victory
I promised by the nomination of Governor
tWilson.
The people of Louisiana have a pe
culiar interest in this campaign as a re
sult of the advanced position taken by
the party in its platform in relation to
0 the subject of the improvement of the
Mississippi river and in committing, the
Sparty to the policy of assuming charge
of the great work of protecting the
n people living along its course from in
nundation.
* All contributions may be made direct
r ly to me or through any newspaper in
i. the State undertaking to receive con
Stributions. L.E. HALL.
d 6 or 6 dosaes 666 will break any case
ic of chills and fever; and if taken then as
Sa tonik the fever will not return.
Price 6e.
RESJOLVED
THAT WHEN ANYorfE REACHES
THE ToP faF. ELADDER IT,mWS
HE IS A SUCcEJS. SOMIEPEOPL
ARE FooUISH ENoUW TrbTHINK
THAT SUCCESS IS AN ACC, DCr4
of CouRSE IT IS 9cT SUCCESS
IS THE RESULT o RDb WORK
AND GIVING PEOPLE Soity)tV4rG
TOR THEIR MOEY. WHIOf
PRovES THAT HoaE STr
IS THE BEST POLICY IF
You WANT To DRESS
1 MADE A SUCCESS AT
DRESS ING PEOPLJ - A0D
DRESS nG TFIEM WE LL AND
CHEAPLY
BUSTER BRo~bi.
HoW HAVE WE CLIMBED THE LADDER or SUC
CESS? BY BUYING GooD GooDS; SELLING GooD
GooDS AT oNLY REASoNABLE PRoFITS; DEAL
ING SQUARELY--GIVING ALL CUSToMERS THE
SAME PRICE; STANDING BEHIND EVERYTHING
WE SELL; TREATING oUR. PATRONS WITH COUR
TESY; AND BY ATTENDING TO oUR BUSINESS,
AND CARRYING THE STOCK. GooD INTENTIONS
CoME oNLY OUT or THE HEAD, GooD GooDS
MUST CoME OUT or A Good SToRE THAT IJ ABLE
To GET GooD GooDS. WE ARE BUSINESS MEN,
PRoUD or oUR PRoFESSIoN. A PRorESSIONAL
MAN IS A MAN SKILLED IN WHAT HE DoES. WE
HAVE MADE A STUDY or SUPPLYING YOUR
WANTS. THIS IS oUR PRoFESSIoN.
PEoPLE'S CASH SToRE, LTD.
RAILRoAD AVE. CoLFAX, LA.
DIXIE PHARMACY
HBadquartrs for
SbIOOI BI001 & S OOI SIIDDIpis
School Books Sold FOR CAr ONLY
. .
THE
& LA. & ARLK. Railway
The "E.er as TlIm" Lira
i- ii .- h - .
Double Daily Passen- Quick and Rala.
ger Service Freight Srie
BETWEEN
X/.exandria, Wi I/nld, JAItwrprt,
Jiamps and 4Yope, Mrk
AND POINTS BEYOND
SPATRONIZE THE LINE YOU CAN DRCPND UPON
D IW. BIRD, B I
t at. .. & A. ar., . t
Is for Sale
year ware
_ _e_